What is the Deal with Today's Stagedoor Culture?

I wrote this in a thread that just got deleted (for obvious reasons), but would like to start a conversation.

I do not understand today’s culture of obsessing over stagedoor schedules, habits, trends, whatever.

I’ve always viewed the stagedoor as a fun, impromptu way of meeting actors after a performance if I really enjoyed a show. It’s a pleasure to chat with and thank whoever decided to come out after delivering a great show.

Now, many have the *expectation* of religiously stagedooring. Signatures and selfies are no longer a fun surprise after a Broadway show; they’re expected now, and even demanded. We’re at the point where people like Laura Benanti have to put out a public statement about stagedooring. And earlier tonight, we had a now-deleted thread asking about the intricacies of Christy Altomare’s daily post-show schedule (!!).

It frustrates me to see this sense of entitlement in the theatre fan community. Actors do not owe you squat beyond a great performance. I wish fans could calm down and stop getting so demanding with what they do after the final curtain comes down.

So, stepping off the soapbox now, my question, and I mean this genuinely, is WHY do fans care so deeply about stagedooring these days?

Updated On: 11/12/18 at 02:23 AM

I agree with everything said above.

I stopped stagedooring a few years ago because the culture got too scary and entitled.

I think that the problem lies with a lot of younger fans. The first generation that grew up with the internet think differently than we do. Kids age 20 and under (because, let's be honest... everyone under 21 is still a kid and they are just practicing talking....) grew up having access to the internet. It has created entitlement, a "I WANT IT NOW" mentality, and a way for these people to organize and encourage each others bad behavior.

Putting aside anyone acting too crazy, I actually think that shows need to adapt to this new normal. To clarify, if Laura Benanti is not going to come out, then she can make a statement and that can be the end of it. If actors never come out for matinees, that should be known. If an actor has gone home or doesn't want to stage door that night, just let the guard announce it and let everyone go home. Of course no one is being forced to wait at the stage door and no actors should be forced to do the stage door but I don't understand this level of informality. It makes things weird on both sides. It's kind of like having rush. If there's no rush policy then no one is going to show up for rush. But if rush tickets are sometimes available on an inconsistent basis then people are going to behave oddly hoping to get a chance at those rush tickets. Again, I'm not excusing anything or blaming anyone but I just think making things a little more official would help and also stop blurring the lines for people who can't separate an actor behaving in a professional capacity from friendship. And it would stop people from hanging out needlessly and blocking the sidewalk.

VintageSnarker said: "Putting aside anyone acting too crazy, I actually think that shows need to adapt to this new normal. To clarify, if Laura Benanti is not going to come out, then she can make a statement and that can be the end of it. If actors never come out for matinees, that should be known. If an actor has gone home or doesn't want to stage door that night, just let the guard announce it and let everyone go home. Of course no one is being forced to wait at the stage door and no actors should be forced to do the stage door but I don't understand this level of informality. It makes things weird on both sides. It's kind of like having rush. If there's no rush policy then no one is going to show up for rush. But if rush tickets are sometimes available on an inconsistent basis then people are going to behave oddly hoping to get a chance at those rush tickets. Again, I'm not excusing anything or blaming anyone but I just think making things a little more official would help and also stop blurring the lines for people who can't separate an actor behaving in a professional capacity from friendship. And it would stop people from hanging out needlessly and blocking the sidewalk."

But it’s not the audience’s business. They shouldn’t need to make any sort of announcement about who is or is not coming out. The audience isn’t owed that.

Stage door culture has been around for decades. I've seen it personally since I started working in theater in the late 1980s. But the culture of entitlement has grown significantly in the last decade or so -- largely due, in my mind at least, to the rise of social media and the erasure of ideas of traditional boundaries. Because a lot of actors (especially theater actors) and artists are on social media and interact with their fans, it creates (for some) an idea that relationships between artists and their audience are closer than they actually are in reality. At least that's what I believe.

Performing is a job. When an actor leaves the stage door, they are leaving their place of work to try and go live their life. Expecting them to take another half-hour on top of their performance is just keeping them from getting home to spouse/kids, meeting friends, eating, getting much-needed rest, or doing whatever the heck they want because they're on their own time.

Extremely well said and bravo BroadwayConcierge, HogansHero and AdamGreer , but it will all likely fall on the sad, deaf ears of those obsessives who really need to hear it.

I knew that stage dooring had become peculiar and creepy, but I got a special peek at the crazy, crazy sense of entitlement and dysfunction while waiting for an Uber on the street where the MOULIN ROUGE stage door line emptied out on to after seeing an evening performance. Wow. I can only surmise that stage dooring truly seems to feed an emptiness in people and satisfies some sort of deluded notion that proximity to fame or success (documented with an assault style selfie) will somehow complete or distinguish you. It truly is no longer about "thanking" someone for their performance. One woman went on and on about how she knew the "rules" of the stage door line and no "security lady" was going to tell her otherwise. She had a "right" to be on that street and no one was going to "clear" her from it. When the show hits NY, given the even more aggressive nature of the NY fans, I get a little concerned for Tveit, Olivo, et al's safety.

And for God's sake-- especially with a show like MOULIN ROUGE. Whether you thought it was a successful adaption of the movie or not, you have to agree that the entire cast put everything they had on that stage with 2 1/2+ hours of incredibly rigorous singing and dancing. The cast was rewarded for it with, literally, show-stopping applause and again with rapturous applause at curtain--as was appropriate. Normal, well-integrated folk know that after such a display that it is time to let an exhausted cast go home in peace. Needless to say, poorly integrated personalities abound among the fangirls and fanboys that only therapy and social media withdrawal might cure. At this point, though, I believe only the actors refusal to participate in the stage door madness can break the obsessiveness that now rules. If no actors participate, the practice will soon die.

A special place in hell for those who don't even see the show and are JUST there for the photos and the merch they want to resell. That motivation is summed up on one word: money. These chat boards in large part fuel this by letting those asking "who comes out" when you know they have no real interest in or intention of seeing the show.

BroadwayConcierge said: "I wrote this in a thread that just got deleted (for obvious reasons), but would like to start a conversation.

I do not understand today’s culture of obsessing over stagedoor schedules, habits, trends, whatever.

And earlier tonight, we had a now-deleted thread asking about the intricacies of Christy Altomare’s daily post-show schedule (!!)."

What on earth were they asking to get an entire thread deleted?! I'm sickening curious. (About the questions they asked, NOT the answers - I have no desire to get this thread deleted, nor do I care to know about Altomare's private, daily life).

Wow, HogansHero, I think you are being just a touch harsh. Not all stage-doorers are odious and pathetic. I no longer stage door, as it's unseemly after a certain age..I think maybe after mid-20s you should have grown out of it, but before then I think it's an innocent enough pursuit. I treasure some of the photos I have of me with my idols. At all times, I was extremely respectful and more importantly appreciative - I always was aware that I was imposing, and asking for their valuable time. Actors are of course free to say "no", like Bebe Neuwirth for example.

I totally agree it has gotten way, way out of hand, but it can be done in a way that's harmless, I do believe that.

@Armie3 yes, harsh. Perhaps there was a genteel form of it once upon a time. I can't remember back that far and as others have said the genie is not going back in the bottle. What I know is that it is an intrusion whether polite or not, and while you may treasure it, you obtained it at the expense of another. It's not just at the stage door, by the way. Try going out for a drink at a place that isn't clubby or hidden. All of a sudden, everyone is lined up for a selfie. It's not cool, and folks need to understand that.

@JBroadway whatever. No one expects the self-entitled crowd here to give up their fetish, but it does not fall entirely on deaf ears because I have heard from numerous people over the years who have said that they never realized the impact of their actions, and how it is perceived.

Before I read any other replies, I would like to share my views based on what I've witnessed (and done) personally. It is now evident that there is a much younger audience in the Theatre community. Along with their diffusion into the community, they have brought along new obsessions and "culture" if that's how you want to put it. What I have noticed is that many of the people associated with this new wave of fans have come from other fandoms where there are other expectations, traditions, and behavior. For example, I was once a fan of many television shows and it was very rare that I would have been able to meet my favorite actors. As I became a fan of Theatre, stage dooring was a wonderful way of being able to meet my favorite performers. Although I use myself as an example, I do not identify with this new wave of people in the Theatre community at all. After analyzing everything and drawing upon assumptions, I have concluded that these new people in the community are obsessed with stage dooring so they can take advantage of a privilege just so they can meet their favorite idols. "Stanning" is also a key term that is now used in today's pop culture and is essential to this situation. This is a part of the "culture" that young people have brought to the Theatre community. Many of you probably have a favorite celebrity that you support and would love to see perform live, but "stanning" takes this to a new level. I think a few people have mentioned this, but social media also plays a big part in this. "Stanning" occurs mainly through social media where people keep track of celebrities' every move (where they go to eat, their family members, their favorite foods, their relationships, etc). This can be seen as an invasion of privacy to some, but for these newcomers, it is the norm. They become so attached to these people, and in Theatre, when they are in a show and they have a chance of meeting them at the stage door, they make sure to take advantage of it. Of course, this has now become a problem in the Theatre community and many performers now dread stage dooring. While I love stage dooring and saying thank you to the performers (I have given letters to a few performers now and then) I never think stage dooring is a right, it is a privilege. I can elaborate more on this, but I will now read other replies and see what you guys think of my take on this; I can't wait to hear your input.



After reading a few replies: I know that this does not apply to ALL NEWCOMERS and that it is unfair to group them all together. I would say that I could be categorized as a younger fan, but I have not showcased any traits that many people find "rude or disrespectful". My favorite stage door experience was with Once on this Island. Everyone was absolutely amazing and I had the privilege of telling most of them what a great job they did and how I was mesmerized by all their performances. Everyone was so sweet and no fan was disrespectful, some just got their playbills signed and left. However, I can see how some people believe people are only seeing shows now for the performers and not the actual show. It seems as if this stage dooring culture continues, the art of Theatre and the appreciation of it could easily be lost on younger audiences and the only way to fix it is to educate them on its importance. Even signing up for your school's Theatre classes or helping in school or local productions can help educate younger audiences on the art of Theatre. For those select few that abuse the privilege of stage dooring, we need to teach them stage dooring is a place to thank performers and appreciate their dedication to the art form.

Updated On: 11/12/18 at 12:54 PM

bwayrose7 said: "I genuinely don't get why this, like so much else, gets painted with such a broad brush. Yes, some fans go overboard and are entitled stalkers. Yes, some are respectful. Yes, some actors put a brave face on it. Yes, some actors enjoy interacting with fans. It's not one-size-fits-all."

Problem is... there is no way to separate the freaks out, nor is there a way to identify which category an actor falls in. Whatever may have been, and whatever might be, it isn't.